Mary Ann
(b. circa 1811 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-51921
Biography:
Mary Ann was a slave living near Vienna in Dorchester County. She belonged to Robert Dennis, esq. Mary Ann ran away in 1825.1 In 1820, she was probably among the fifteen female slaves under the age of fourteen who were part of Dennis' household, according to the census.2 Dennis owned a total of 47 slaves.
In 1824, Robert Dennis, esq. passed away at 73 after enduring an illness of six months.3 His wife, Sarah, had died four years earlier.4 His death may have raised concerns for his slaves, who could have feared their families would be broken up and sold at the inclination of the new owner or to settle the estate's debts. Around 1825, Mary Ann ran away from the plantation. She was approximately fourteen years old. Mary Ann was one of several slaves who ran away after Dennis' death. Around Easter of 1824, nine of Dennis' slaves escaped en masse. Levin and his wife, Patience, ran away with their two daughters, five-year-old Anne Maria and two-year-old Sophia. Accompanying the family were David, Joe, Zadock, George, and Elijah.5
Clement Stanford, the executor of Dennis' will, advertised for Mary Ann's return beginning on July 16, 1825, in the Cambridge Chronicle & Eastern Shore Advertiser. He described her as being "chestnut color, rather tall and well made, with full breasts." Stanford offered a $40 reward for her return, and he upped the amount to $60 if Mary Ann was found outside of the state. The advertisement does not make clear the date that Mary Ann ran away-- the space where the date of escape would be printed has been left blank. However, it was probably close to July of 1824. The advertisement appeared three times in the newspaper.6
Footnotes:
1. "$40 Reward." Cambridge Chronicle & Eastern Shore Advertiser. July 16, 1825.
3. "Died." Baltimore Patriot. April 9, 1824.
4. "Died." Baltimore Patriot. October 24, 1820.
5. "$750 Reward." Cambridge Chronicle. November 13, 1824.
6. "$40 Reward." Cambridge Chronicle & Eastern Shore Advertiser. July 16, 1825.
Researched and written by Emily Huebner, 2014.
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